Running on No Sleep

It's pretty darn hot out there again, but only 78% humidity today! What a blessing that is. It must be more tolerable, because my friend the rabbit was out on the trail today, looking just like a chocolate Easter bunny, but with transparent ears where the blazing sun shone through. I don't know if people are feeding the little fellow or if he truly is out there just to mock the odd runner.
I ran, half asleep, for a good part of the run. I had thought to challenge myself by going out on my own on the hilly trail, but given the fact that I just didn't sleep last night, I thought it best to stick with the tried and true. Much easier to run with my eyes closed that way.
New people on the trail today-a fellow with a standard poodle. Did not fare well with them, as I accidentally poked the dog in the nose on my first go-by and then called him "pretty dog" as we passed on the return trip, thereby offending his dubious masculinity. If you've got a guy poodle, don't make him look so cute! I should maybe just stick to running....
I was planning to run a bit farther today than the usual 4.5 K, but I will save that for a time when I am all rested up. I am, at least, off the couch.

Serious Sweating...

It is hot out there! But only 22C, the thermometer tells me. Checking the humidity on the weather network, though, and it's.....100%. Holy ***! I just ran in 100% humidity. It's no wonder I'm pouring sweat! This has got to get rid of last week's unwise chip consumption. God, I love jalapeno chips. But they don't love me. Unless I run in 100% humidity every day. Maybe then they won't be showing up on my midriff like an unwanted ...showing-up thing.
Ran on the brutal uphill trail again today, with my Beautiful Daughter and I cheated on my run, yes I did, by breaking my stride and picking a snapdragon so that I could show her how they snap. Backfired on me later when I gasped "water!" and she said "not right now, I'm holding 2 dragon heads at the moment". Try to be nice.....
September is coming! I won't be running at 11 AM then. Off to shower.

Thank Heaven for Sleepovers!

I ran alone today, much to my great delight. I went back to my original trail, just to see how much better I was at running on it now than I was before. Well, it's humid today, even at 8 AM, and that put a stop to my brilliance, unfortunately. I was a bit anxious about running on the trail alone but I needn't have worried. There were all of my old dog walker friends again. Of course, I did run a bit faster as they approached, and that might have been the thing that slowed me down over the whole run-that on and off sprinting....
I have discoved a FB page for Bridge to 10K, with podcasts, no less. Not as spiffy as Carli's but with much less rap, thank heaven. Given the choice, I would not be running along to Eminem chanting away to me about being a dead baby daddy as a result of his unwise recreational drug use choices, so this new music seems to be a good alternative. I will, one day, figure out how to make my own podcast, but I still like to hear a nice encouraging voice telling me that I've already run 5 minutes, and how wonderful I am. It feels great to be back in the running saddle again!

Back at It, and Feeling it Today...

So, finally back running again. There was no good excuse not to go-I'm in between exams, Beautiful Daughter is not suffering from anything drastic.
Of course, since I've asked her to go along with me, she gets to choose the trail, and it is, naturally, the one that's uphill both ways. It's beginning to feel shorter in distance, which is nice. Having 2 weeks between runs, not so nice. I could only go 25 minutes, still a far cry from not being able to run one minute, but I will need to build back up to 30. The muscles are crying out now, two days later. I will put them through this again tomorrow. I am not interested in regressing, now that I fit into shirts properly!

I Come to a Complete Standstill

Those of you kind enough to read this little blog will no doubt be wondering why I have not run in 2 weeks. I wonder that myself. The truth is that it has been as humid as it can be, and while I would love to be running every day sometime after dawn, Beautiful Daughter is not keen on the idea of being here alone while I run and has firmly put her foot down regarding the desirability of biking while being eaten alive by bugs. They never go after me.
The big reason for our lack of exercise is the trip to hospital we took last week to see if one of us had appendicitis Fortunately not! But it took many hours of sitting and lying in hospital to discover this.
It's almost the end of the sprummer semester for me. Apparently my classes spanned the whole of the alternate semesters, spring, intercession and summer, and I am grinding toward the end, with 2 lovely 12 page essays due, of course, last week. You may believe me when I tell you that I would rather have been running some of those days I spent writing til all hours of the morning.
I may have mentioned this before, but I will be more than grateful when school starts in the Fall.....I will run again!

I

Alright! Enough with the Humidity Already!!

I've decided to start the Bridge to 10K. Might as well, it's bound to get me to 5 K sooner or later! 3 repeats of 10 min running, 1 min walking today. This will increase to 4 and then 5 repeats as the week wears on.
It is very, very humid this week and this has prevented me from running for 4 days in a row. I am noticing it now, as I return from a brutal jog on the uphill (both ways) trail. I am a sodden mess. Even my pony tail is wet. People on the trail were smiling broadly at us and although I hope it was because we had the cute dog with us, I suspect it was actually because I am wearing a bright green tshirt which clashed with my bright red countenance. That's the more likely story.
I am waiting patiently for September when many things will change. a) I will run alone and not have to carry a bag of dog poo during the entire 5 minute cooldown walk (oxymoron). b) I will run when I want to and not in the middle of the day when it is bloody hot out. c)I will pick my own trail and d) I will not be sweating like a stuck pig (inaccuracy-pigs don't sweat).(Although they cool off by rolling in feces, which I could have done, since I had it with me in a bag).

Running without C25K

Well, this is it, I'm running without C25K telling me what to do. I waited until 1 30 to run, which I will never do again, in deference to Beautiful Daughter who did not want to go out there. Technically, C25K is still telling me what to do, because I'm timing myself by Carli's W9 podcast.
We went out on the new hilly trail, right at the height of the humidity. It is not easy. But I needed to get out there because I have discovered that eating icecream in various forms 3 times in one week will cause said icecream to migrate straight to those areas which were losing weight before. No more sugar for me!
I ran almost as far as the last time-I turned around about 10 yards early, but I started my run after 2 minutes of warm up walking. I really have no idea how long I ran, but the point is, I did run. Once school starts again for BD, (and that cannot happen quickly enough), I will work a bit more on distance. For now, just getting out to run is a major accomplishment. Oh please, please, have a sleepover!

I Have Graduated.

Wow!! I've finished the C25K program! This is the most amazing thing! In April I couldn't run around the block (heck, I couldn't run for 60 seconds!)and today I have run up hills for four kilometres. Not only did I run but I hit a runner's high (the coolest feeling) for a whole 5 seconds. My favourite parts of today-no bugs, no mocking rabbit, the friendly people, and the incredible feeling of becoming something I never thought I would be; a runner.
There's always an incentive to run-today it was to get rid of that cannoli I had at the International Villages Festival. Pretty sure it worked. What new adventure's coming next??

Sor t of D2....

It's 27 degrees out there, 36 with the Humidex. I ran in that. What sort of fanatical person have I become?? One thing that does love this heat is a bug, and not just one, but several at a time. The rabbit, of course, being a wise mammal, is nowhere to be seen. Even the oriole is missing-the only birds are the black ones, and you'd think they'd be the ones to stay out of the sun. No great shock that there was only one other person on the trail, a woman walking who didn't hear me say hello because either her ipod was too loud or sweat was in her eyes and she just missed seeing me entirely.
We got to the point at which I would have been running 5 more minutes before turning around when Naomi had had enough of the bugs in her hair (she had her own entourage the whole way and nearly went nuts). So she asked me, in a small pathetic voice if we could please, please turn around here and go back. I thought it would work out ok, given the snail's pace at which I was running today; surely by the time I reached the car it would be 30 minutes worth of running. Apparently I was running faster than the average snail, because I hit the car before the end. Kept on going on the road (boy, you really notice pavement when it's not your running surface of choice!) and then jogged back to the car, STILL not at the end. So I think I've probably missed a minute or two, for which I could be forgiven, as one minute in the blazing heat =2 normal minutes. I am going to tack these minutes on to the end of my graduating run, which will occur on Friday. In the meantime, I think I'll live in the shower...

Blowing off D2

Ok, so this is cheating, for sure. Not only did I eat sugar yesterday, and not just a little taste of sugar but an entire milkshake, but today I am choosing not to run in the 33 degree heat. 33C is not so bad in itself, (wait, that's a lie...)but with the humidex, it's 40 (that's 104 for you Fahrenheit people). People are walking in slow motion out there, if they dare to go out in it at all. I think that it'll be cool enough to run at about 11 PM, at which time it may have cooled down to 24. I'm fairly sure that I will not run at 11 PM. This is my first "excuse" day, as opposed to a "reason" day. I notice a difference in how my clothes are fitting today, which, of course, makes it easier to rationalize not running, and on the beach yesterday, I did not feel like a landed whale! I may have totally blown off today, but I'll still be at it as soon as the temperature deigns to fall below 33.
Well below.

Oh, no! It's the last week!!

Week 9. Now what? What will I do without someone telling me I have to run so many minutes at a time? Carli's so encouraging. I hope to goodness she hurries with that bridge to 10K podcast!!
Today, in honour of the 30 minute run, I decided to run on the same stretch of trail (which conveniently has parking for hikers at the halfway point of my 4K run) but starting at the opposite end. I figured that if I started from the place where my body is used to thinking it's halfway done (and I always run faster on the home stretch), then I could fool myself into thinking the whole thing was easy.
Truthfully, the whole thing WAS easy! I used some of the things I learned from reading ChiRunning, like keeping my elbows back and my feet behind my core. It actually works! Beautiful Daughter came with me on her bike; I think she's getting used to this now. And she brought the dog, who cried pitifully as we were leaving. It took some doing to figure out how to keep her from running in front of the bike, and ultimately, she just rode on Beautiful Daughter's lap. Good thing she's not a lab.
Fortunately, no one but bikers showed up til the very end. You'd think we'd be happy to run into other people running, but apparently I turn bright red near the end, and people notice....

School's out-Now What?

I was dreading today... well, not dreading so much as wondering how I would manage to run when Beautiful Daughter would just as soon not come along, but doesn't want to be home on her own. Solution; a sleepover! I take 2 girls on the trail, on their bikes, they can pick berries for me as I run, and I don't have to worry about anyone's happiness but my own. 4K run today, taking 28 minutes. I am encouraged by the fact that I spoke with a fellow yesterday who was doing 4K in 50 minutes (that is slooooowwww!)
Great run today-although I wore the wrong socks and have a sore foot now. Part of it might have been this ChiRunning thing I was so enthused about. I think I was probably running just fine without worrying about my chi. Too much focus on posture, pronation and leaning. I do those things (or not) automatically as I get into my run. Thinking about it too much just hurts. Poof! It's outta here. As is W8. Now I'll be running 30 minutes at a time. Just 2 minutes more. I can do this, easy.

Running with a Coach

By the time I'm finished W9 I'll probably have run with ALL my kids, if the Ottawa boy comes to visit! Today I ran alongside Beautiful Daughter, who has a speedometer on her bike (fancy) and a water bottle holder that is adjustable (also fancy) so that we could cart along the Gatorade. I was running 7 kph, which is not too shabby, I think. 11 kph at some points, when the fartlek urge kicked in and I sped up. Lots of people on the trail today, and we made it all the way to the 2km marker and beyond, before turning around and heading back. 28 minutes today. The last minute was a beggar. I am encouraged to do this now, as my Scout shirt fits! I am losing weight, I am! I still see some flab, but as God is my witness (as well as the blackflies and rabbits), I will be fit by the Fall! I am a runner!

Never Listen to the Guy on IronBoomer.com....

Cardio works better when you push yourself harder than you think you can, he says. Jeez, he's 75 or sometbing. No pressure on the young boomer here, no, none at all. So I'm up for the challenge, and I push myself harder. For 28 minutes I do this, while I pass, yes, the dog walkers again, and some creepy fellow with a husky. I don't know who scares me more....Yeah, back to the running. It is as humid as it can be out there. I think I've sweat off one of my bosoms. I have gone from the couch to 4K now, having run to the 2nd km marker. I discovered that it's not a driveway up in the distance (because I have now run that far), but a parking lot for hikers. There's a road there! Who knew? Next time I run, I will cross that road, because, OMG, it's got to be cooler than it was today! Now we know what it's like to run in a sauna. And next time I run, when Katie Perry is singing "someone call a doctor" I won't find it quite so ironic. I hope.

I have hitchhikers

Week 7 is officially done. I find it interesting to stand back and watch the way I handle glitches in the program. If I can't run on a day, for one reason or another (and there have been no "excuses" days yet, just "reasons" days) then I have to be sure I complete the whole thing in some other configuration. Take today, for instance. It's Monday, and I should be starting W8, but nope, I had to do the last day of W7. However, my body has other ideas about what day this is. I came to the end of the 25 minutes and just kept on running. Part of it had to do with the dog walkers, who practically know me by name now. They showed up just at the halfway point coming toward me. I hate running if someone's walking behind me so I ran a little farther than I needed to. Of course, once I turned around, I couldn't run as fast as I may have liked to, because, yeah, there they were! So I took a detour down a gravel road and added a bit more space between us. Anyway, there's week 7, all done now and instead of the 26 minutes I ran today, I will be running 28 minutes. I think I can do that.

And after a spluttering start to the week....D2!

Well, I figured out why the rabbit's not showing up on the trail; it's because the mosquitos and blackflies have arrived. Smart bunny.
I started off this second day of the seventh week of running (how many runs IS that, anyway?) at a fair clip. No more of this piddly jogging for me! (I think). A biker dinged by early on and I encountered the nice walking ladies with the tiny dog that just runs ahead of them. Said hi to the dog and his owner said "you go, girl!" So encouraging! I ran farther today than I have yet, waiting for Ms. Carli to tell me that I was halfway done, and that was a nice accomplishment. I'm going to have to suck it up next week and run all the way to the 2nd KM marker. That will mean, yes! that I have run 4 K. Unbelievable. I think there's, like, a driveway farther up the trail.
Anyhow, by the last minute of the 25 minute run, I've run right out of steam and what I end up doing for the last 60 seconds is something akin to a spastic skip in an attempt to keep launching myself off the ground. By the time I'm done, I"m really done. One more day of this week and then off to some fresh hell. :-)

Old People littering the trail

Sigh. I'm pretty pumped that I've made it to Week 7 and haven't stopped running in the middle of the allotted time. Yet. It was a near thing, though, when I caught myself sort of highstepping to the music instead of actually jogging.
I blame the elderly people having a chat in the middle of the trail. They were bitter. Did not even say hello back to me! Their dog was friendlier than they were! Jeez. And I've taken so much time from my life looking after them. Ingrates.
Yeah, I ran 25 whole minutes today, and that was an accomplishment and a half, after being off for 3 days. My schedule's right off. But I did it!

Running with the Boy

So today I decided that it would be a great idea to do W6D3 right before my trip to Ottawa, with my son. And I should say right from the outset that, yes, I did it, with seconds to spare. I ran out of trail and did a good 10 seconds on the road, which tried to break my ankle by placing a crooked bit of pavement right under my feet.
I discovered that I can run while talking, which is a far cry from W1D1 when I had to hold up my cellphone upon which I was keeping time, when someone asked me partway through the 60 second run how much farther I had to go. It's actually not as long in your mind if someone's running along with you, or sprinting ahead, as was the case.
A lovely run, except for the dude on the bike informing me that he was passing on my left. The whole trail width was free to my left, but he felt he must tell me this in case I broke from tradition and went veering off wildly to the other side of the path....Bikers. Sheesh.

An encounter with a giant lawnmower

So there I am in the midst of my 5 minute warmup walk in the woods, when what should appear but a backhoe with a mowing attachment on the side, slashing away at the verge of MY running trail. He's taking up the whole width of the trail, too, and there is a drop off on one side and his whacking great mower on the other. What to do? So he graciously stops the backhoe just as it's time for me to start my run. Naturally I'm running a bit faster than usual to get away from the roaring and slashing... Otherwise a lovely run, 10 minutes running, 3 minutes walking and 10 more mins run. This was my last day of intervals, I think, but not sure as I follow the advice I give everyone and I do not look ahead.
Of course, mower man is there again, coming back at me with the damned mower on the way back. So there I am, running on the spot waiting for him to get out of MY tree tunnel, when suddenly Carli says Day 2, you're finished your last run! Sigh. Screw this, I think, and I start walking toward the backhoe, which is stuck at a tree. I'M not stopping to help him, but he is rather cute, so instead of walking past the backhoe, I break into an enthusiastic run, which I keep up for an entire minute. Oh yeah, that's right. Now I'm trashed. But W6D2 is in the bag.

I'm past the halfway point!

Already in Week 6. I have been running for 6 weeks. This is a whole new ball game. Back to intervals again and although I didn't believe it, it IS harder to go back to that than to run a distance. This music that Carli's chosen is really a downer too-never run to rap, is my new lesson.
It's harder to run at noon, I have discovered. First thing in the morning's best for me. Less sun overhead, and there are more dog walkers then. I kept myself going for this run by reminding myself that this is what unearthed my previously fat-encased ribs in the first place. God knows what new treasures will appear as I keep on going. I figure, do the run now and in 2 days I will reap the benefits!

I can see my ribs.

That's it. I just had to share that somewhere. I have ribs and they are actually visible again. I can't believe it. More later, after I've actually gone for the run.

Ok, that's it, I'm legit.

I have just run 20 minutes without stopping. Unbe-freakin'-lievable. I am a runner. (Real runners would probably scoff at this, but, hey, I'm happy.) Met a walker with a baby in a back carrier, a few walkers with tiny dogs and a couple of bikers who showed up while I was doing my cool-down walk. 'How you doin'?' they ask me. 'Tired!' I say, much to their probable disdain as I am walking. How tired can I be, they must be wondering. It was just 18 degrees and mostly cloudy which was perfect for this adventure.
Birds kept flying across my path, a baltimore oriole, a mourning dove building a nest and a goldfinch. Plenty of colour! The rabbit was conspicuously absent but that was likely because of the loud and barking dog in one of the yards I pass to get to the trail.
Still waiting to be skinny, but I plough on.

Wow, this is amazing!

Ok, here's the deal; if I manage to run for 20 minutes straight on Friday, I will officially call myself a runner. (or 'unconscious'). Today I ran for 8 minutes straight, which doesn't seem like a long time, but believe me, it is! The first 8 minute stretch I was distracted by a couple with some dogs. I can say hello without wheezing-and this trail etiquette is very important. The more polite you are to people you meet while running, the more likely someone will be to help you if you happen to collapse or need water or something...
The 2nd 8 minutes I forgot I was running while I was having some sort of odd fantasy. (no, I will not share it with you. ;-p It was a perfectly clean fantasy)
Today for the first time, I felt the 'burn' everyone's talking about. Right in the glutes. Bodes well for future clothing purchases... I have made a discovery as well, and that is that running is just automatic when you're not paying attention. Stubborness is a valuable asset in this game, too. Maybe, maybe, I can do this W5D3 thing. Time will tell.

W5, already!

or..."running with a sunburn". Started off today with Naomi reading in the car. Her torn ligament is still healing and she would just as soon not tag along. Beautiful day today. My 5 minute walk began with a rabbit on the trail (oh, and a nice walker, too!)Things changed this week, as I am running 5 minutes right off the get-go, after the 5 min warm up walk. Then I walk for 3 minutes, and run again. 3 times I run for 5 minutes. I actually ran, as opposed to jogging, when the podcast played Girlfriend. I can run to that song! I should just play it over and over on Friday when I am slated to run for 20 minutes straight. This I've GOT to see....
I'm feeling some muscles in the glutes today, and my clothes are looser, so something's happening! Slathered on the vitamin E to take care of that nasty sunburn. At least Naomi wore sunscreen to the beach!

Jogging with Everyone

Here's Week 4, Day 2 in the bag! Naomi is home with a 'headache', but I am determined to run when I'm supposed to, as I suspect I am now addicted. Moreover, (a new word I've imported from essay-writing) I indulged in a baby-sized ice cream last night and must run it off. Sugar, surprisingly, does not taste as good anymore. I'm glad I've had plenty of it up to this point. Ah, the memories.
So, Naomi and the dog have come along with me, first waiting in the car, and then right on the trail when Nomes felt it would be fun to race along in front of Mommy. Boy, was she in for a surprise! There's Mom, running 5 minutes at a stretch, and who's got a stitch in her side? It ain't Mom! Three quarters of the way through, who's saying "this is more running than I do in basketball and soccer put together!"? Again, not Mom. I am starting to know when the 5 minutes is going to come to an end, when I am involuntarily thinking "Surely to God this is almost finished!". But the FB people are right when they say it's 90% mental. I think I need to stop, but really, I'm just exhibiting some laziness. Note to self; Pick up the pace! And maybe don't bring along a creature who will ultimately need to be carried back to the car when you wear her out. Silly dog.

Thanks for the distraction!

Well, here I am in W4, the week I've been dreading, the week everyone on FB was saying was the toughest week yet, even harder than following weeks. And I DID IT! I did it because halfway through the 5 minute run, a couple and their lovely big husky came toward me, running. There was no way I was going to bail while someone was actually watching! It's so much easier to do something like this (5 whole minutes!) when there's a distraction. When it's just you and the music, there's too much time to think about what you're doing and how long you've got to go. Thank God they weren't walking, is all I have to say! I always think someone walking watches someone running to see if they'll be able to keep going. I know I do that! I don't know if what I'm doing counts as running during the 5 minutes, but I DID run during the 3 minutes, which is now, officially, and unfortunately, the short run!
Today-a heron, a Baltimore Oriole, a chipmunk and still, the robins. Beautiful.

OMG, Here comes W4

Did an extra day of W3 today, to be completely honest about the program, since D1 was a bit of a washout! I found it harder to run today, but walked very briskly during the walking portion... I think the thought of daughter and dog waiting in the car for me at the end of the trail pushed me along.
I do not know how I'm going to do W4. The music's faster, and it's FIVE minutes at a time! Yikes.

Lovely rainshower today while I was running. Everything, however, hurts after mowing the lawn yesterday. Hot bath, here I come!

Week 3 in the can!

Wow, that's done. Amazing. I did my 5 minute warmup walk with Nala around the block and then hopped in the car before she realized that she was in the house without me. Not a happy dog. It's going up to 28 degrees today, and I had hoped to walk earlier, but it was either I go to class or I go to that silly echocardiogram. The tech was a little overenthusiastic with the equipment. Didn't really need that hole in my ribcage, thanks. So with the imminent heat, I have sweat off some pounds, I hope. I didn't feel very energetic today, and I may do W3D3 again on Saturday before braving week 4. I didn't think I'd be able to run 3 minutes before I did it, so this next week might not be as bad as all that.... I'm listening to the podcast for next week as I write, and the music is....well...different. On my return walk to the car 2 Canada geese flew overhead. I was accompanied this morning by robins all along the route. Lovely.

What a beautfiful morning!

W3D2 under my belt! It was a bit harder to run the 3 minutes today, and I think it's because of the podcast. I know which songs I"m running to now, and I expect them to end sooner than they do....But I did all the runs-90 seconds is a breeze now, and I hope that 3 minutes will be a breeze next week. I'm not looking ahead tho. No sense freaking myself out!
The rabbit was there on the trail waiting for me this AM, and watched til I came nearly level with him. I certainly don't pose much of a threat, especially without the dog! After I passed him, a blue heron flew overhead. While I was stretching in the car, when it was over, I saw a beautiful Baltimore oriole. Great day for seeing wildlife! And I feel pretty good, too. **Note to self-if you hope to lose weight, do not eat Clif protien bars!! Now we're playing catch-up!

Finally, alone.

Ahhh, that was nice! Did all of W3D1 (I am tempted to call it D2, but the last run certainly didn't qualify...) I ran 9 minutes! Carli from Running into Shape sure knows how to pick the music. There I am running the final 3 minute stretch to "whip it, whip it good". Not much else would make me want to keep running except the knowledge that I'm 'whippin'' it! So peaceful today. No one on the trail at 9 AM, there was cloud cover, and a bit of sun for a minute. The leaves are all coming out, it smells like lilac, and a rabbit came out on the trail to laugh at my efforts on the way back! I will not be running with the dog again....Poor puppy. But this was absolutely decadent.

ARRRGH!

Stupid dog! Stupid Mp3 player!! So looking forward to W3D1 just to see if I could really do it. And yay! I ran 3 minutes! But had to walk 12 minutes first as Mp3 player stopped working. Twice.
Well, it's all exercise. And I can try again on Wednesday. Lots of people on the trail today.
But I am NOT NOT bringing the dog with me next time. I'm sure I can actually run without being pulled along. Sheesh.

Glitches galore!

W2D3, wow! I can't believe I won't be running to some guy singing, "alrightalrightalrightalright" at me anymore. Actually, that's a real incentive to run. If he can run one word together like that indefinitely, surely I can keep jogging til he runs out of breath...
The earphones to the Mp3 player crapped out while I was in the midst of my 2nd 90 second run, so I stopped jogging and walked while I got the thing to just play without earphones. A bit tinny, but still there. I had to just make it up as I went along, as I didn't know how long 90 seconds was! The dog crapped out, too, while I was running, and went bananas. I begin to suspect there's something odd right at that point on the trail.
AND it's cold out today-I discovered that my body does not respond nearly so well to running in the cold. I think I'll be just fine when the 30 degree weather hits. But it's very hard to run when it's 8.

Running, with encouragement

W2D2 today. I don't know where it went, but I lost all the enthusiasm I had, and couldn't motivate myself to run! Posted a message on the Facebook group and boy, those people don't hold back. 'Get off your ass!" they yelled at me in capital letters, "Just get out the door and do it!". Yoiks. I'd like to see what they have to say when it's -20 and I can't get motivated. So I went. I went farther than I've gone yet-I suspect I'm actually running now as opposed to the meagre jog I was indulging in earlier. I turned around at a spot farther on and then I had to walk for 10 minutes just to reach the car. I actually threw in an extra minute of jogging, which doesn't sound like much, but considering the first week, when i couldn't walk and jog past 12 minutes, this is a big thing. Met lots of people on the trail, all with dogs, of course.

Running (and Dancing) with the Dog

Week 2! And now I'm running 90 seconds at a time. I think I notice it less because now the Dog has decided, as she's part poodle, that dancing around me while I attempt to jog 90 seconds would be much more fun. I'm worried that I might wear her out, but it's a blessing to have her flaked out on the floor here beside me now as opposed to pawing at my leg. I feel good having run this amount of time, but I also wish that I could see instant results. I want to be thin...yesterday. I started using a podcast today, too, and that makes things much easier, with someone telling me when my running time is up. So now I've gotten rid of the cell phone to tell time. I just need someone to tell the Dog to stop dancing....

F** it!

So after going to Urgent Care and discovering that everything was fine, I decided to carry on with the C25K program, carefully. It's easier to do the 60 second jog now, and I'm carrying on with W1.
Brought the dog with me today and I don't know if the jogging's easier because the dog is dragging me or if I'm actually becoming used to the running. I don't think I'll repeat that!

No ill effects after doing the whole 20 minutes. So off we go! I hope I can figure out the MP3 player next time, but it was nicer being able to hear the birds, and maybe easier on me to set my own pace, too.

And.....then we stop.

This was supposed to be W2 D1, but things fell off the rails when I went into the Urgent Care with chest pain, dizziness and a nice pain in my shoulder blades. Fortunately, everything has come back normal, but there will be no more running until I undergo a stress test. They should just come along with me, running, and bring their instruments with them! I'll bet the stress test is going to be easier than W1D2.... More to come.

What it's like to run on the Rail Trail

Ah, now this is more like it! I blew off yesterday (but I'm told that that will be my official weekend rest day now). It was 3 degrees and windy as heck! Who could run in that?? (Anyone, I guess).
So today, I chose to run sans Beautiful Daughter and Dog and it was glorious. I'm sure she'll be happy to know that I will not need a drill sergeant anymore.
I tried a few new things today, running on my own, running (well, I call it running, but since it's W1D3, it's really jogging and walking) on the Rail Trail, which is dirt, not pavement, and running to music. There is nothing like running to music, suddenly it's not a chore anymore, it's more like dancing over a distance. Such fun! It took half the time I ran to figure out how to use the Mp3 player-you can't see a thing on the screen when the sun's shining on it. Once I got it going, it was on full volume, so now I'm panting, and deaf. But so worth it! Moving on to W2....

Running, or what passes for it, In the Rain

Holy Hannah! W1D2 is very hard. I think my muscles have caught on to what I'm doing and they're starting to rebel! It's nicer to run in the rain-if you start getting too warm, the raindrops cool you off. The disadvantage to running at 8 30 instead of 10 is that the neighbours might be working in their garage, and can hear you gasping....
I stretched before running this time-I hope it helps with tomorrow, when I will undoubtedly be in terrible pain.

I Get Off the Couch

W1D1-after months and months of looking at the Couch to 5K website, I have actually gotten off the couch, prompted by a shocking visit to the women's fitting room, which, I have decided, should not come equipped with mirrors....
Day One calls for a brisk 5 minute walk, followed by alternating jogs and walks of 60 and 90 seconds apiece. Repeated for 20 minutes. I made it to minute 12 when suddenly, there was my front door. My front door leads to water. And a chair. Not having brought either of these things with me, I ran in. After sitting and drinking for a full minute, by the cellphone stopwatch, my daughter kindly asked if I planned to finish the rest of the run. "Yeah, why not?", and out the front door I went. The 8 minutes were far easier than the first 12. Lesson one-bring water. Beautiful Daughter can carry it, as she's following me on her scooter with the dog, anyway.... Lesson Two-10 PM is not a bad time to run, unless you'd like to be able to breathe not quite so deeply as you fall asleep.